Border suicide blast kills Hamas militant
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — A bomber blew himself up in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing a Hamas militant who was trying to stop the attacker from crossing into Egypt, Hamas announced, blaming an Islamic State sympathizer for carrying out the attack.
It marked the first time that Hamas, which has carried out dozens of suicide attacks over the years targeting Israelis, was itself struck in such an attack. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry said five other Hamas security forces and an accomplice of the bomber were wounded.
The ministry described the assailant and his colleague as “ideologically deviant” — a term Hamas uses to describe members of the Islamic State militant group and other extremists. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Hamas, an Islamic militant group that seeks Israel’s destruction, has ruled Gaza since seizing control of the coastal area in 2007. Hamas has since clashed repeatedly with more radical groups, which have carried out their own attacks against Israel in part to undermine Hamas.
Hamas has sought to secure Gaza’s borders to improve relations with neighboring Egypt, which is battling an Islamic State affiliate in the neighboring Sinai Peninsula. Hamas largely has observed a truce with Israel since a 2014 Gaza war.
The Hamas fighter who was killed had been given the task of preventing Palestinians from sneaking into Israel or Egypt. After the attack, Hamas forces set up dozens of checkpoints in the area and began searching cars.